Thesis Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER TECHNOLOGIAE In BUSINESS INFORMATION SYSTEMS in the FACULTY OF BUSINESS at the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY 2011 / With over a billion Internet users surfing the Web daily in search of information, buying, selling and accessing social networks, marketers focus intensively on developing websites that are appealing to both the searchers and the search engines. Millions of webpages are submitted each day for indexing to search engines. The success of a search engine lies in its ability to provide accurate search results. Search engines’ algorithms constantly evaluate websites and webpages that could violate their respective policies. For this reason some websites and webpages are subsequently blacklisted from their index. Websites are increasingly being utilised as marketing tools, which result in major competition amongst websites. Website developers strive to develop websites of high quality, which are unique and content rich as this will assist them in obtaining a high ranking from search engines. By focusing on websites of a high standard, website developers utilise search engine optimisation (SEO) strategies to earn a high search engine ranking. From time to time SEO practitioners abuse SEO techniques in order to trick the search engine algorithms, but the algorithms are programmed to identify and flag these techniques as spamdexing. Search engines do not clearly explain how they interpret keyword stuffing (one form of spamdexing) in a webpage. However, they regard spamdexing in many different ways and do not provide enough detail to clarify what crawlers take into consideration when interpreting the spamdexing status of a website. Furthermore, search engines differ in the way that they interpret spamdexing, but offer no clear quantitative evidence for the crossover point of keyword dense website text to spamdexing. Scholars have indicated different views in respect of spamdexing, characterised by different keyword density measurements in the body text of a webpage. This raised several fundamental questions that form the basis of this research. This research was carried out using triangulation in order to determine how the scholars, search engines and SEO practitioners interpret spamdexing. Five websites with varying keyword densities were designed and submitted to Google, Yahoo! and Bing. Two phases of the experiment were done and the results were recorded. During both phases almost all of the webpages, including the one with a 97.3% keyword density, were indexed. The aforementioned enabled this research to conclusively disregard the keyword stuffing issue, blacklisting and any form of penalisation. Designers are urged to rather concentrate on usability and good values behind building a website. The research explored the fundamental contribution of keywords to webpage indexing and visibility. Keywords used with or without an optimum level of measurement of richness and poorness result in website ranking and indexing. However, the focus should be on the way in which the end user would interpret the content displayed, rather than how the search engine would react towards the content. Furthermore, spamdexing is likely to scare away potential clients and end users instead of embracing them, which is why the time spent on spamdexing should rather be used to produce quality content.

The purpose of this study was to develop a Web site for a primary school and to determine the quality of the web site in comparison with the web sites of other primary schools. The specific focus of this study was to determine the promotability of the web site and to point out the advantages for the school concerned. Ms Mariaan Greyvenstein, my co-researcher, focussed on the content development and management aspects of the web sites of primary schools. The dissertations of both the researchers discuss the web site of one specific school, and for this reason some information overlaps periodically. Both of the dissertations have separate functions and each one is special in its own way. A detailed description of the development and testing of the product is given. The acquisition and evaluation of results are discussed. The researcher discusses the findings to assure the profitability of the product. / Dissertation (MA (Information Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Information Science / unrestricted

The purpose of this project was to develop an easy-to-maintain web site for the Gamma Lambda Chapter of Phi Beta Delta International Honor Society here at California State University, San Bernardino, which will manage complete and up-to-date information about the mission, members, officers and all the activities of the honor society.

Zugl.: Erlangen, Nürnberg, Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.

This thesis focuses on web site evaluation by using structural evaluation and scope of business based content comparison. Firstly, web site measurement techniques and evaluation methods are reviewed. Then a structural evaluation and content comparison method introduced. This thesis also includes a web based implementation of these methods for evaluating web sites which is partially automated for structural evaluation method.

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Universiẗat, Diss.-2007--Regensburg, 2006.

Zugl.: Münster (Westfalen), Universiẗat, Diss.

Thesis (MEd(Computer Integrated Education, Curriculum Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Despite having access to volumes of information, women newly diagnosed with breast cancer report a moderate level of distress related to their diagnosis, treatment, life expectancy, threat to current roles, and life-changing surgery and treatment choices. Web sites designed to teach people strategies to reduce distress are readily available online. The online format may be useful and practical for women who can access the site at their convenience, learn the components of the interventions at their own pace, and practice the strategies in the comfort of their home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an online Mind-Body web site (http://www.www.preparingforyoursurgery.com) designed to reduce distress related to surgery for its usability, practicality, and appropriateness for women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Results of this study will be used to either adopt use of the web site into standard of care at our cancer center or explore development of a similar web site to meet the needs of women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Women recently diagnosed with breast cancer, who had breast cancer surgery in the past 60 days, were asked to evaluate an online Mind-Body web site and then respond to an online questionnaire measuring the web site usability, practicality, and appropriateness. Thirty-one women evaluated the web site and completed the online survey. The majority of women agreed the web site is useful, practical, appropriate, and would recommend to others. There was no significant relationship between age, income, level of education, frequency of Internet use, or experience with Mind-Body techniques and women who agreed the web site is useful, appropriate, or practical compared to women who were neutral or disagreed the web site iii is useful, appropriate, or practical. The results of this study suggest the web site could be introduced to women newly diagnosed with breast cancer at our cancer center regardless of age, income, education, frequency of Internet use, or experience with Mind-Body techniques.